Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

[NAFBUC]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

As a premise, let me just say that I absolutely love this game. My favorite baseball video game of all-time. While there may be many things to criticize, that is more because this game does so many things right that it is hard to understand how some of it's shortcomings made it through to the final product.

With that being said, I want to state that I am officially giving up on using the Manual/Assisted Fielding system in the game, and switching over to Auto-Fielding full-time. I understand that no one cares what decision I have made in order to better enjoy this game, but I was hoping to see if other have the same concerns about this as I do, and to see if I can spark some discussion on the issue.

My issue is this: I play for realism. I try to make the game play and look as if I were watching the game on TV. I use Wide View for hitting, and Broadcast view for everything else, with R-T w/ Replays with all zones, etc. turned off. It is fantastic. However, there are a couple issues with fielding. Far too often the CPU hits a dribbler down the 3rd or 1st baseline that goes under the fielder's glove for a dubious hit. This also happens occasionally in the holes between 3rd and short, 2nd and 1st. It is so unbelievably frustrating, mostly because it happens so often. I know others experience this, as I have seen many threads stating so. Way too often the fielder goes into the stupid animation where the ball goes right under/through the fielder's glove/legs. It happens an average of 3-4 times a game, no exaggeration. To combat this, I tried manually positioning the fielders, but again this is cumbersome and not always effective. I also want to state that it has nothing to do with the angle I take to the ball. I played a fair bit of competitive baseball in my life, and fully understand how to properly approach a ground ball, whether in real life or a video game. Another problem with fielding (mainly due to fielding with Broadcast View...) is that it is hard to react to hard hit balls correctly because of the short window of reaction time and also because you don't always know which fielder you will be controlling.

All in all, I have found that by switching to Auto-Fielding, the game plays so much better. The fielders move and behave realistically (for the most part), and the CPU makes some incredibly good-looking plays that I otherwise would not have been able to do manually. As an added bonus, I don't have to look at those arcade-style icons under the selected fielder. I am currently enjoying this form of fielding far better, and am not getting so frustrated by all the weak hits.

Does anyone else find this (using Auto Fielding) to be helpful, better, or disappointing? ...as oppose to Manual/Assisted?

Great post bfindeisen. I have been fighting with manual/assist fielding for along time. I hate the idea of giving up a significant part of gameplay by switching to auto fielding. Yes, SCEA has improved fielding over the years by small increments, but the mechanics are still very frustrating. MVP was much smoother with fielding and throwing back in 2005.

[cardsleadtheway]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

Great post bfindeisen. I have been fighting with manual/assist fielding for along time. I hate the idea of giving up a significant part of gameplay by switching to auto fielding. Yes, SCEA has improved fielding over the years by small increments, but the mechanics are still very frustrating. MVP was much smoother with fielding and throwing back in 2005.

I agree wholeheartedly. I believe that fielding in this game is broken. I know people will come on and bash me for using the term, but what else can you say about it? When I see my out fielder play the ball off the wall, pick it up to throw, then turn around and run into the wall before finally throwing, I am led to believe that either the fielding is broken (i.e. doesn't work as intended), or else the developers have no clue what goes on in a real outfield. Since I have trouble believing the latter, I am led to believe the former. MVP 05 was near perfect with fielding. I don't understand why this game can't get it right when they improved on all other aspects of the game.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

...I don't understand why this game can't get it right when they improved on all other aspects of the game.

There's only so much they can do from year to year. Hopefully fielding and camera angles are high on their list of priorities for next year.

[bfindeisen]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

Great post bfindeisen. I have been fighting with manual/assist fielding for along time. I hate the idea of giving up a significant part of gameplay by switching to auto fielding. Yes, SCEA has improved fielding over the years by small increments, but the mechanics are still very frustrating. MVP was much smoother with fielding and throwing back in 2005.

Thanks for the feedback!


I am by far an MLB: The Show supporter, and not a detractor...and even with all of the issues with the game, I still think its the greatest baseball sim ever created. Better than MVP, IMO. However, to gloss over the major shortcomings (like manual fielding) and just say 'its a video game' as Rondoman would have us do, that is stupid. Fielding is a major issue with this game. That can't be denied. However others are dealing with it is their business...but to say 'its fine' and that no improvement is needed is just plain ignorant.

[bemo03]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

Major league infielders don't make errors on routine ground balls hit right to them when they don't even have to move. Really how often do MLB infielders let easy ground balls go right through their legs.

Yea they also dont drop easy popups with 2 outs to end the game right? Just ask Luis Castillo about that one there champ.

[bfindeisen]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

Not near as often as occurs in this game.

I am actually going to agree with you, man. Even since switching to Auto-Fielding with throwing and fielding errors turned down to zero, I still see way too many routine plays booted. Not a gamebreaker, but def noticeable how many easy plays are completely botched. Just a lil too many for my liking.

[jeremym480]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I was up 1 run the other night in the bottom of the 9th with 1 out and the bases loaded. The CPU hits a taylor made double play ball to my second basemen. So I got a double play to end the game.......not so fast my friend. My 2nb throws the ball over the shortstops head and 2 runs score and I lose by 1.

But guess what....that's baseball. I was mad at my 2nd baseman for throwing the ball away but not mad at the game because errors happen. Some of you guys get mad because your fielder makes an error when that kind of stuff happens in almost every game in real life. You can't scream and holler about wanting realism and then when it happens get mad about it. Can't have it both ways.

By definition, players get assigned an error for a mistake on routine plays.

A mistake made on a tough play is ruled a hit.

For the love of God..... THIS!!! Your third baseman isn't going to get to every ball and when he does it doesn't mean that there is going to be an out. It's baseball and anything can happen on any ball hit into the field. If the ball slides underneath my first baseman's glove, I say nice hit CPU. Now, it's my pitcher's job to get me out of this jam.

I grew up on BASEBALL for the NES.

I have seen a sad, growing trend among gamers these days. The people that feel entitled, that everything is owed to them, that every game should be perfect and if it's not they scream bloody murder or how horrible the developers are. The people that bitch cuz a certain color of sock is not in the game, or that the stadium is not exact enough.

Man, I am glad I can just sit back and not worry about those things and enjoy it for what it is, a video game played for entertainment purposes.

Yeah me too. This game is the tits. (sorry it's for the "I Love You Man" reference. I just watched it again last night and that line was on my mind )

I thought it would be a young person from the "elitist" post...then a few posts prior to yours he sounds like a guy you'd listen to on OS.

Rondoman do more of the latter. No need to come in here with all this "why even play the game if they field for you" BS.

If you throw an "In my opinion it's important to field because you miss an important part of the game" in there it's all good. Because it's YOUR opinion...not fact.

BRB playing The Show with auto-fielding and loving it! Nothing like have a smooth fielding 3B like Ryan Zimmerman just snag everything around him. I can't come close to replicating how good he is in real life...it just doesn't look nearly as smooth!

I agree with this too. I've played with auto-fielding in 08 and 09 but, for some reason I decided to go back to manual fielding this year and I'm having a blast.

Besides, who am I to say how someone else is supposed to play and/or enjoy the game? No one and neither is anyone else on here. So just have fun with the damn game people. It doesn't matter how you play do what you want to. Whether it be auto or manual fielding, auto or manual base running, playing on rookie, vet, all start, HOF whatever, just remember it's YOUR game!!

[rondoman]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I am sorry and apologize if I came off as a "know it all" or anything of the sort. That was not my intention.

To each their own, everyone should play the game like they want to, that is why the options exist. I didnt mean to say that because I prefer manual fielding that everyone who uses auto sucks or cant field. Once again I am sorry if I came off like that.

Sorry guys, my bad. I do see some of the issues regarding fielding but with fielder reaction at 10, I am not seeing it a whole lot. This is from Psychos Perfect Slider set BTW.

I found that if the ball is hit to the outfield and you slow up a tad before retrieving the ball that the "run into the wall" animation is not as prevalent. The thing I do hate and am seeing more of though is the "slow motion in quick sand" round the ball animation from both me and the CPU... I dont know how to fix that it just seems thats the way it is and is gonna be.

But once again, sorry guys for coming across as a smart as$ that was not my intention whatsoever.

[cardsleadtheway]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

There's only so much they can do from year to year. Hopefully fielding and camera angles are high on their list of priorities for next year.

I do understand that, but what I am talking about wasn't in last year's game. I know there is only so much they can do in one year, but does that mean they have to go and screw up something that was working? If I were to get my xmas wish, it would be that there is not one thing new in 2011, but rather every thing in the game now is fixed instead.

And telling everyone that the only fix for fielding issues is to switch to auto is like telling people that Madden is great except that you have to switch to auto during defense in order to get the game to work right. Being force to have the computer operate half of the game is not a fix in my book.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I know there is only so much they can do in one year, but does that mean they have to go and screw up something that was working?

Sometimes... Yes.

My guess is they added to the fielding in some way, in an attempt to improve it, and a new problem arose out of whatever they did.

Just gotta hope it's on their radar, and I'm guessing it is.

[cardsleadtheway]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

Sometimes... Yes.

My guess is they added to the fielding in some way, in an attempt to improve it, and a new problem arose out of whatever they did.

Just gotta hope it's on their radar, and I'm guessing it is.

I hear you. I just get so frustrated with how amazing this game is, and then I get sucked into the wall. It takes all of my will power to not throw my controller through a window. I take a deep breath and tell myself that it was just a misplayed ball by my out fielder, but this can only appease me for so long. I don't mind out field issues when I make the mistake, like taking a bad route, or diving and missing. But when I play the ball perfectly off the wall, and then I can't make the play because the engine makes my fielder run into the wall first before he can through, well that just pisses me off.

[rondoman]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I am sick of seeing a low fast line drive to my leftfielder Braun where I run up trying to make the catch and he completely misses it and it rolls all the way to the wall. Damn you Braun!!!

[countryboy]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I hear you. I just get so frustrated with how amazing this game is, and then I get sucked into the wall. It takes all of my will power to not throw my controller through a window. I take a deep breath and tell myself that it was just a misplayed ball by my out fielder, but this can only appease me for so long. I don't mind out field issues when I make the mistake, like taking a bad route, or diving and missing. But when I play the ball perfectly off the wall, and then I can't make the play because the engine makes my fielder run into the wall first before he can through, well that just pisses me off.

Cards...are you pressing the analog stick towards the wall when playing the ball off the wall, or are you letting the ball come to you?

Also...here lately, I've been right as my fielder goes into the animation of fielding the ball, when running towards the wall..I'll press the l-stick away from the wall and its seemed to have reduced the amount of times that I get stuck in the run into the wall animation.

[stewaat]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I am sorry and apologize if I came off as a "know it all" or anything of the sort. That was not my intention.

To each their own, everyone should play the game like they want to, that is why the options exist. I didnt mean to say that because I prefer manual fielding that everyone who uses auto sucks or cant field. Once again I am sorry if I came off like that.

Sorry guys, my bad. I do see some of the issues regarding fielding but with fielder reaction at 10, I am not seeing it a whole lot. This is from Psychos Perfect Slider set BTW.

I found that if the ball is hit to the outfield and you slow up a tad before retrieving the ball that the "run into the wall" animation is not as prevalent. The thing I do hate and am seeing more of though is the "slow motion in quick sand" round the ball animation from both me and the CPU... I dont know how to fix that it just seems thats the way it is and is gonna be.

But once again, sorry guys for coming across as a smart as$ that was not my intention whatsoever.

It's all good.

Appreciate you being a man!

[redsox1122]

Re: Giving up on Manual/Assisted Fielding

I've always played using manual fielding, but after following this thread for a few days, I thought I would give auto a try, just to see what differences there were.

After two games, I have seen just as many instances of the "outfielder into the wall" animation as I did on manual fielding. I've also seen several overly-aggressive outfielders dive for balls well out of their reach resulting in triples to the wall on what should have been singles. Infield fielding seems very smooth (much better than I normally do), but the outfield issues are making me think that manual is the way to go.

I know two games is a small sample size, so I'm curious about what other people's results have been.